I haven't seen pele playing so I can't comment there, and I started watching Diego from 1988 until he went crazy, and he was something special. It's hard to compare players from different generations, since nowadays games are well prepared, and tactically more planned by coaches and better excuted by playes, also players are better athletes than former players. Still players now are more protected by refs, and they have it easier than the old days, we defenders or CM would rought it up to another level with technically gifted players. The game was more rougher in the old days, but tactically both players and coaches are below the level we have today. Also videos, goals and etc are not a valid way to judge a player. You need to see a full match and judge a player passing, positioning, movement without ball and many other values. It's not about nice goals and moves. Zidan to me is one of the top 3 players I have ever seen 1) Diego 2) Zizou 3) Ronaldo (if he wasn't injured very often then he would have been fighting Diego for #1)